The Case of the Watery Witness

Perry Mason's client in this episode is John Bryant who as usual has come to Raymond Burr on an entirely different manner. Does his wife Dusty Enders have some entitlements to the estate of Fay Wray who is an old film star who lives quite regally from the savings earned from her salad days back in the Thirties.

Enders may or may not be a daughter that Wray gave up for adoption back in the day when such things were done to keep the Breen office off one's back. But the issue comes to a head when someone murders Wray and Bryant becomes the chief suspect.

We get a delightful list of suspects which include a slimy private detective who someone like William Hopper wouldn't hire, Douglas Dick. There's also Kathryn Card, Wray's cynical housekeeper, her thieving business manager Malcolm Atterbury, and her old producer Lester Vail.

Highlighting this episode is a fence played by Ned Glass who knows jewelry like Clausewitz knew war. People he's not so good with, but his expertise proves invaluable as Hopper dredges him as a consultant of sorts.

An over-the-hill actress, played by Fay Wray, an over-the-hill actress, is supposedly quite rich. Like Norm Desmond, she seems to have quite a following. When a young woman claims to be the daughter she gave up years before, things get dicey. It doesn't take Tragg long to arrest the wrong person. Decent episode.

This episode must have been reduced from a book since the title of the episode had nothing to do with the actual situation in the show. Perhaps, due to time restraints, portions were cut that would have revealed a more close relation to a 'watery witness' but had to be cut for TV sake as there was reference to a boat ride.

However, in this show we are treated to the gorgeous Fay Way playing Lorna Thomas, a movie star that has seen better days. She is set to begin a new movie produced by an old friend named Tony Raeburn. But just when things look like they are looking up, Ms Thomas gets a visit by a woman named Betty Clark advising that she is her daughter that was abandon years ago. Ms Thomas throws her out of the house right in front of her personal maid Harriet Snow.

Later Harriet goes to check on Ms Thomas only to find her dead. And with help from fingerprints it reveals that Betty Clark's husband, George, was in the house and also has jewelry in his car that belongs to Ms Thomas. Perry will be called in to swim against the current as he tries to find the true murderer.

This episode was a classic who-done-it as we get a show full of characters that had some motive for the killing. It will be near the end that Perry finds out that one witnesses made a slip-up in testimony. When he asks the reporter to read back part of the mornings testimony- the true person is exposed. And we get those three words, "I killed her", to end the show with satisfaction. Good watch

A touch of Sunset Boulevard in this story.

Once famous movie actress Lorna Thomas (Fay Wray) could be on the verge of a comeback. She still has a grand lifestyle. She certainly has an attitude.

Betty Clark is a young woman who believes that she is Lorna's natural daughter, given up for adoption. When both women meet reluctantly, Lorna rebuffs Betty. Denying any family connection.

Later Lorna is found dead and Betty's husband George is arrested for her murder.

It was good to see the legendary Fay Wray. The story has some real schemers and sleazebags. Yet it did not hang well together and it needed rapid breakdown at the witness box to tie the story up.